Photos courtesy Long Beach Fire Department
8:40am | A fire extinguisher and effective sprinkler system kept a fourth-floor apartment in downtown Long Beach from going up in flames on Monday.
Firefighters responded to reports of an apartment fire at 3rd Street and Linden Avenue about 12:35pm yesterday, and saw gray smoke billowing out of a window when they arrived. Fortunately the fire was stopped by a dry chemical fire extinguisher, and a sprinkler system kept the blaze from spreading to other rooms and floors.
The water did cause damage to the unit and others around it, four in total, but the disaster could have been much worse if the building was not equipped with working sprinklers. Firefighters used large portable vacuums and other water removal tools to suck up standing water. Some residents were not able to return to their units and the American Red Cross has stepped in to help with shelter.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
